Injection vs Combined pill
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Add your Injection review
£From £0.16/day
Overview
Rated 2.9
305 reviews
Every 2-3 months
Frequency
94% - 99+%
Effectiveness
None
Blood clot risk
Short term
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.8
2709 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
Increased
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Injection ingredients
Main hormones in Injection
progestogen
Combined pill ingredients
Main hormones in Combined pill
progestogen
oestrogen
What Lowdown reviewers say
Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with
Endometriosis
Heavy periods
Period pain
Acne or bad skin
Heavy periods
PMS and PMDD
PCOS symptoms
Period pain
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£From £0.16/day
Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Injection reviews
305 reviews
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I would have rated this 5 stars last year. I used to be on the depo jab that had to be done at the doctors but I work 12 hour shifts meaning it was a struggle to attended every 12 weeks. So I was over the moon when I found out about sayana press that I could do myself. I usually do the injection around 11 weeks but the last 3 times I get to 10 weeks and get crippling period pain that completely debilitates me. Even after I’ve done the injection this will continue for about a week afterwards. I’ve never experienced child birth but the pain is horrendous. It will wake me up in the middle of the night, happen at work and is just completely random spouts of unbearable pain until at whatever point doesn’t happen again until I am next at the 10 week mark. I’ve recently learned that it’s a lower strength to Depo-Provera and maybe that’s why however I’m confused as to why it’s only started happening. My gp surgery is useless and it the whole process of going back to having the higher strength at the surgery is going to take some time but being able to do it at home is not worth this horrendous ordeal. I would not recommend switching
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3rd Jan 26
Great if you’re looking to prevent pregnancy with less admin. Having the year’s supply ant home and not needing to see a doctor every few months was handy. Stopped my periods aside from some very minimal spotting and my skin was great - I barely had any spots over the years I was on it. I did feel like I was quite numb emotions wise. I didn’t experience mood swings but it was alarming that I often didn’t really feel anything! My libido was extremely low too.
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 1st Dec 25
I experience mood swings, low libido, aura migraine, my face got darker than usual and I stopped seeing my period.
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I would have rated this 5 stars last year. I used to be on the depo jab that had to be done at the doctors but I work 12 hour shifts meaning it was a struggle to attended every 12 weeks. So I was over the moon when I found out about sayana press that I could do myself. I usually do the injection around 11 weeks but the last 3 times I get to 10 weeks and get crippling period pain that completely debilitates me. Even after I’ve done the injection this will continue for about a week afterwards. I’ve never experienced child birth but the pain is horrendous. It will wake me up in the middle of the night, happen at work and is just completely random spouts of unbearable pain until at whatever point doesn’t happen again until I am next at the 10 week mark. I’ve recently learned that it’s a lower strength to Depo-Provera and maybe that’s why however I’m confused as to why it’s only started happening. My gp surgery is useless and it the whole process of going back to having the higher strength at the surgery is going to take some time but being able to do it at home is not worth this horrendous ordeal. I would not recommend switching
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3rd Jan 26
Great if you’re looking to prevent pregnancy with less admin. Having the year’s supply ant home and not needing to see a doctor every few months was handy. Stopped my periods aside from some very minimal spotting and my skin was great - I barely had any spots over the years I was on it. I did feel like I was quite numb emotions wise. I didn’t experience mood swings but it was alarming that I often didn’t really feel anything! My libido was extremely low too.
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 1st Dec 25
I experience mood swings, low libido, aura migraine, my face got darker than usual and I stopped seeing my period.
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Combined pill reviews
2709 reviews
Used for 6 - 12 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
It is a balancing act, but, overall, I am happy with the results. I take the pill back to back as my cramps were so bad that they were effecting my personal and work life terribly and I could no longer stand the pain. Unlike other pills I have tried before, this stops my periods. After 3 or 4 months I get heavy spotting and take a break for 7 days which sorts it out - the breaks are fine with only mild cramping and nothing like my periods before. It has saved my ability to work. I have had negative side effects - weight gain and mood. I have no history of depression, anxiety or struggling to process things until I started taking this pill but I now struggle with these things most days. Compared to the pain, for me, the impact on my mental health is a trade off I've accepted.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
Zoely was brilliant for managing my cyclical mood symptoms and essentially stopped my periods which was great in the context of endometriosis. I had no period pain on this pill. However unfortunately I struggled with significant vaginal dryness which honestly felt like perimenopause and made sex intolerable. I also noticed significant hair loss, but I can’t say 100% if this was Zoely or due to life stress.
Somewhat positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 6 days ago
Feel “out of it” a lot more but not necessarily depressed. However cramping is really bad
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
It is a balancing act, but, overall, I am happy with the results. I take the pill back to back as my cramps were so bad that they were effecting my personal and work life terribly and I could no longer stand the pain. Unlike other pills I have tried before, this stops my periods. After 3 or 4 months I get heavy spotting and take a break for 7 days which sorts it out - the breaks are fine with only mild cramping and nothing like my periods before. It has saved my ability to work. I have had negative side effects - weight gain and mood. I have no history of depression, anxiety or struggling to process things until I started taking this pill but I now struggle with these things most days. Compared to the pain, for me, the impact on my mental health is a trade off I've accepted.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
Zoely was brilliant for managing my cyclical mood symptoms and essentially stopped my periods which was great in the context of endometriosis. I had no period pain on this pill. However unfortunately I struggled with significant vaginal dryness which honestly felt like perimenopause and made sex intolerable. I also noticed significant hair loss, but I can’t say 100% if this was Zoely or due to life stress.
Somewhat positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 6 days ago
Feel “out of it” a lot more but not necessarily depressed. However cramping is really bad
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I always feel tired, no matter how much I sleep it feels like it's never enough. Most days I don't feels in control of my emotions. And my hair falls in clumps but my gyno tells me not to worry.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
I switched to this pill after being on a mini pill and feeling a lack of emotion, not necessarily depression just nothingness. My doctor advised this pill would help with symptoms of PMS and I couldn’t disagree more, I am a usually very happy positive person. I felt angry, irritated, hopeless and then ultimately depressed in just 6 weeks on this pill. I ended up having a panic attack and it then dawned on me that the only thing that has changed recently is this new pill. I stopped taking it the day this happened and I have felt completely fine and back to my normal self since. Personally I would never recommend this pill, I never suffered from any mental health issues before the pill and it’s made me go off contraception completely. The ONLY thing I would say about this pill that is a positive is that my skin was flawless, but that isn’t worth it for me alone. My skin wasn’t bad before other than an occasional hormonal spot here and there.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
36 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
I started taking Eloine for contraception but also as a way to mange my PMDD. It has definitely helped with managing the severe depression from PMDD and keep my mood more stable. I have more energy than I used to. I have felt slightly more hungry but also in a new relationship and started taking it just before Christmas so hard to tell if that is caused by the pill, or just general indulgence. The most annoying symptom I’ve had is irregular breakthrough bleeding, which has happened a lot. I bled continually for the first 5 weeks and now it comes and goes.
Somewhat positive mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I've loved Lucette for control over my periods and it largely got rid of my acne. My boobs got bigger which I loved too because I felt better proportioned. I think I gained some weight in my midsection, I didn't mind that for the other benefits it gave me but also could have been due to age. I think I had more discharge and would wear dailies for comfort. I wouldn't have come off it but was told I shouldn't have been on it in the first place due to having a history of migraine with aura that wasn't picked up earlier.
Improved skin
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I’ve been on Yasmin consistently for 13 years and have never had issues. I remember the first 1-3 months of taking it I did have a bit of nausea but after that, no side effects. I know I am one of the lucky few, but I really love this pill. I never have any issues and never period pain, I have great skin, no weight gain or libido loss. I haven’t changed brands because of how amazing it has been for me.
Improved skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
Such a shame my body didn’t like it because my brain definitely did! I have felt so much happier in the 6 weeks I’ve been taking this (compared to years of being on Microgynon) BUT I have had thrush 3 times in those 6 weeks!!! It caused a lot of vaginal dryness which led to thrush :(
Very positive mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
1 comments
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